Amazon France unions reject wage increase proposal on last day of talks

Most unions at the French unit of U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc rejected a company proposal for 2022 pay, with the exception of one management union, but no immediate protest actions are planned, union representatives said on Tuesday.

A grouping of the firm's main unions had proposed a 5 percent increase to compensate for a sharp rise in inflation in France. On the final day of the talks, only the CFE-CGC management staff union had signed the company's proposal for a 3.5% general increase from June 1, union sources said.

`In any other year this would have been a good proposal, but since December inflation is rocketing, with energy, food and other prices going up sharply,` said Jean-Francois Berot, a representative of the SUD union.

Union sources said there may be some protest actions in coming days or weeks, but no strikes have been planned so far. One source said that the company might want to open talks about specific contract issues in coming days, but that even without union agreement, Amazon would implement its proposal in June.

Company officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Amazon said in April it had proposed wage increases above the average (increase) of the Transport and Logistics branch in France, as well as other advantages.

`The company had threatened to lower its offer to 3% if there was no deal by Tuesday, but in the end Amazon stuck with the 3.5% offer. The proposal will pass, but without (majority) union approval,` said CFDT union member Morgane Boulard.

In April, all eight logistics centres of in France were hit by staff walkouts tied to a dispute over pay.

Amazon employs about 26,500 people in France, including about 14,500 permanent workers.